The Fight
by imholynight
Summary: That untold story of Orihime fighting a losing battle against The Quincy King. Yhwach becomes suspicious of the girl's identity and her power's origin. IchiHime. RenRuki. [COMPLETE]
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Shield, your sword has been broken," Yhwach addressed the little girl with the auburn hair. The Quincy stepped away from the unconscious Ichigo lying among the rubble and continued, "Must we continue this?"

Orihime flinched yet still poised to do battle. Yhwach smiled as he hurled a swarming mass of dark energy towards her. It dissipated as a triangular shield faintly glowed in front of the girl.

 _Hn,_ thought the Quincy King. The young girl wore a pitiful determined look on her face. The broad must be too keen on continuing the fight that the boy started and failed to finish. He sent another wave, this time behind him directed towards the defenseless boy on the ground.

 _Hisss._ Yhwach briefly glanced behind him to see the same result – his energy dissipated as it made contact with the triangular shield. It faded out of existence only to reappear below the body of the boy and his broken Zanpakutou, lifting and swiftly carrying them across the ground towards the girl whose stare did not falter.

"Cheeky," teased The Almighty, as a gust of wind blew their clothes. He sent a larger wave as the body was amidst being lowered on the ground. It swallowed half of the destroyed throne room only to disappear mere moments later, to reveal that the shield is still under the boy but one angle was bent in such a way to block the attack.

"Amusing," he jeered. In all honesty he expected for the shield to easily break, as what he has seen from his visions of the past. The shield the broad just used was the **Santen Kesshun** – Three Sacred Links Shield – a tri-linked shield capable of rejecting whatever is outside it, therefore cancelling and rejecting all possible damage a force could inflict. It was what happened earlier with all energy waves he sent – they did not just vanish into thin air. All were rejected out of existence just like there was no attack in the first place.

Suddenly, small lights sprang forth from both sides of her head and formed an oval-shaped dome around the boy's unresponsive body.

"Life has already left that boy's body," he taunted. Although he said that the boy is practically dead, he knew for certain that the little girl is capable of resurrecting the deceased. The **Soten Kisshun _–_** Twin Sacred Return Shield – summons two of her sprite-like creatures to form an oval shield around her specific target and heal the damage they sustained. However, healing is not the term per se; rather the girl rejects what is inside the shield and returns it to the state it was before receiving any damage while simultaneously erasing it out of existence. Essentially speaking, the target never received damage at all.

 _Typical._ This is how she fights – defend, heal and attack – all one trick ponies without further planning on what would be her next move. She will not even move from her spot and would lose her resolve immediately after firing her offensive shield. It was what made her weak, vulnerable and susceptible to sneak attacks. "You are not fit to fight. Stick to your dolls, little miss," he teased.

Her next move would be **Koten Zanshun** – Solitary Sacred Cutting Shield – a technique with so much wasted potential. Although branded out as the only offensive capability out of her roster, it is a shield that rejects both sides of the target while erasing their existence altogether. Its nature cannot be compared to that of Shinigami's soul purification, nor a Quincy's ability to destroy one's soul. It is far more sinister as it takes away the very existence of one's being, erasing them altogether from history.

How a mere and naive broad of a human came up with a set of cruel abilities is beyond him.

A light streak zoomed towards him and cut across his right cheek. He bled, and his eyes focused on the girl, her hair flowing like a dancing fire in the wind. She used her **Koten Zanshun** , and now is his chance to counter attack. He hurled a mass of energy that swallowed them. Just as he was about to tune out the amount of force, a striking whistling sound echoed among the blackness of the dark mass, and a speck of golden light twinkled like a star in the night.

It grew larger and larger.

Faster and faster

Nearer and nearer

He raised a shield of his own, but he was too late to block it, and it sliced across the right part of his chest – exactly where the boy hit him with _Zangetsu_. The sea of dark energy faded and he saw he girl behind the triangular shield holding both of her had in front of her. She still wore the very same determined expression she had when they first started this battle.

"Interesting," Yhwach smirked, wincing. A little girl dared to defy him, a god! He caught himself from boisterously laughing. He quickly gathered _reishi_ on his feet and sped towards the girl. She is fast, and he shall pulverize her in her own game. He was about to send a sharp spear-like tendrils of dark energy towards her when she suddenly manifested the triangle on her feet and surfed towards him.

She summoned her single sprite and prepared to attack. He smiled as he manifested and brandished his broadsword in front of him. The broad lost her main defense the moment she used the triangle as a pathetic imitation of a Quincy's _reishi_ platform.

He slashed with might but it only met the shield, not bent like the previous. Rather, it was the whole flat triangle protecting her whole person, with her standing midair.

 _The longer that this farce goes on, the more than it is impressed in me that the girl is a Quincy,_ he thought to himself _._

A light parried his sword, sending his arm away and bringing his attention back to the girl. He used the momentum to spin around and thrust the blade at her. It shattered the middle portion, leaving a gaping hole for him to attack. Again, he thrust the sword directly towards her bare midsection but the hole closed, trapping the blade. She raised the shield upward and sideward. His grip loosened as she successfully took the sword away from him. She flailed it and threw it across the wind.

Yhwach immediately hurled a dark wave towards the girl, hitting her squarely in her chin, and sending her further into the air. Orihime skidded, grazing her knees and elbows by the impact. Yhwach smiled triumphantly as the little girl weakly and slowly stood in place. She wiped her brow with her arms as she carefully took her battle stance. Four lights gathered around her, the three forming a triangle floating on her right arm, while the other one swirling lazily on her left. She is a picture of a medieval knight.

"Pathetic," he jeered, as he summoned another energy sword on his right hand while covering his left arm with a vortex of wild and thrashing black-colored energy. He made a slicing movement with his left hand and an array of tendril spikes formed and homed towards the little girl.

She moved her right hand and quickly blocked the attack he sent. He sped towards her, raising his sword and brought down his sword upon her while she was blocking the spikes. The triangle shattered into tiny little shards, sending them away into the wind. The force made the girl off-balance, baring her vulnerability to further attacks.

Yhwach laughed boisterously as he sent another array of black spikes. It quickly shattered upon contact with the single stroke of light. He seized the girl and brought his sword upon her. The blade slid to the side as the human parried his attack with her triangle shield. He held tighter at his sword's hilt, keeping the shield from parrying his blade, as he swung harder. The triangle flickered out of existence as the girl was sent again feet into the wind.

He appeared inches away from the girl in a split second, holding her tightly by her cheeks as he raised her painfully above. The girl choked as she struggled and clawed to escape but it only made him tighten his hold on her. "Tell me young girl, what is it that motivates you to fight?" she did not speak as she looked straight at him with undecipherable eyes. It gnawed at him. It sparked his ire for whatever reason unknown even to him. He gritted his teeth in annoyance as he forced her to look at the boy below. "Is it that boy?"

She did not answer. He had enough of this charade. He positioned the tip of his blade exactly where her heart should be and was about the thrust when it shattered. It loosened his grip on her, and along with the girl's hand chop, his fingers finally released her. Freed, she used his body as leverage and kicked him squarely across the face with her right foot. It sent him reeling, and while he was distracted, the girl formed a small Santen Kesshun shield on her palm and struck his chest with it. Combined with its ability to reject whatever is outside the shield, the Quincy was pushed several feet away.

"You!" he growled.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

"You!" he growled like a lion, as he sent tendrils of darkness towards her. Quickly returning to her feet, Orihime used Tsubaki; flicking her wrist for him to follow her sense of direction (and ultimately counter the vulnerability this attack possesses). Tsubaki destroyed one tendril after another like a jet zooming, leaving a straight trail of light in its wake.

Yhwach made himself a spherical barrier to house himself from the swift streak of light capable of attacking him from all sides. He touched the inner wall of black energy and from it, sprouted multidirectional towering blades. He lightly pushed at the surface and all blades sprang forth, rapidly firing in dozens of succession at all possible angles. He smiled behind the darkness.

Orihime used Santen Kesshun on herself but immediately backtracked upon realizing the King's plan. The Quincy lured her farther away from Kurosaki-kun so as to prevent her from protecting both of them. _The Soten Kisshun will brea,_ she realized in panic. She faltered but forgoes protecting herself. She sent the trio towards Kurosaki-kun, barely able to put them up before a barrage of blades pierced the oval barrier. A sigh of relief escaped her lips before she was bombarded by blades piercing through her skin. It drew blood across her body as the pain drew agonized tears from her eyes. A blade lodged at her stomach and her right thigh – colouring her white suit crimson – before it dissipated into smoke. Orihime ground her teeth to keep from crying.

"Young girl, I want to ask you this question," the older man started. "What do you think makes a great heroine?" Yhwach waited for the girl to reply, but he received negative response. "No answer? Anyways, from what your actions imply, your answer seems to be that it is a great hero," he paused observing that the girl is drawing heavy breaths as she clasped her abdomen with pressure to keep herself from bleeding out, then he continued. "But you are mistaken. It is great tragedy. It is that self-sacrificial streak that makes the story of a great heroine so legendary…so eternal – that tragic sacrifice to always keep their love ones in the cradles of safety and security. Tragedy is what makes them bloom in beauty, just like what you are, princess…just like your refusal to heal yourself even in death's door, just so that the man you love will get better," he smiled knowingly before resuming his battle stance.

"You're probably right," he lost his composure when she began to speak in a low sincere tone. "But you are also wrong to assume that I wouldn't heal myself. Shun-o! Ayame! Soten Kisshun!" A dome erupted from the ground until it covered her whole body.

Yhwach stared at the light, his eyes momentarily blinded by its golden radiance. It was like the rising sun. In mere seconds, her wounds closed. _So, this is the true extent of her so-called 'healing' abilities,_ he remarked as he shattered it with a loose dark blade. It managed to deter her, but it only lasted for a while as she recomposed herself. He noticed that the two sprites are returning to the boy below and he used _The Almighty_ to undermine her healing capabilities. Now, any future of that event will only result to the boy and his blade not being rejected of its damage. He repeated the multidirectional attack to prevent the girl from figuring out his plan once again because from what he gathered, the broad was quite intuitive. She reacted similarly. _Too easy_ , he grinned but it faltered the moment a large pyramidal shield erupted from her palms and blanketed even his line of sight towards the boy.

A white-hot searing pain coursed and burned through his veins as a _cero_ -like golden energy punctured a whole in his chest. The agony brought him to his knees. He spat the iron-tasting blood from his mouth, cursing. He was tricked…by a lowly human! He forgot about her four-pointed shield, **Shiten Koshun** – Four Sacred Resistance Shield. It was its rarity of usage of it that made him forget that it actually exists. A combination shield she made after her kidnapping by that Aizen. It combines the offensive and defensive properties from Koten Zanshun and Santen Kesshun. When it receives an attack, Tsubaki disperses the resultant force as a concentrated explosion, which is automatically returned along the attack's opposing trajectory. Suffice to say, the more damaging the attack, the more powerful it becomes. However, its limitation solely relies on its ability to return the attack at the opposing direction. It cannot store energy, nor release energy in different angles. He needs only to evade.

He stood slowly, stumbling in the process before he recovered and used his cloak-like energy to repair his injuries. He heard a gasp of disbelief from the girl. He glanced at her, face losing its determination and hope. He made a triumphant face, yet she poised herself once again. _Stubborn lass_. He raised his hands and summoned his Sankt Bogen. Large particles of reishi condensed midair and fired a barrage of enormous arrows. The girl raised her pyramidal shield in a pathetic attempt of countering him back again. The arrows collided with the shield and it exploded, sending the girl hurling into the air. He fired another round of gargantuan arrows that decimated her triangle shield into shards. He made a third attempt only this time she used Koten Zanshun but it was futile. Its spherical shield broke the moment it made contact with the arrows and she was struck on her left arm.

"…" whimpered the girl.

He summoned a dark swirling vortex that swallowed her whole, with him tightening and compressing her inside. He parted the waves to see her still standing, body bruised and left arm held by her right hand, oozing blood. She lost her footing on the reishi gathered at her feet and she was sent plummeting to the ground.

Orihim looked weakly at the Quincy King as she felt the rush of cold wind at her back. Yhwach is now a small speck of black among the sky and she was rapidly nearing the ground.

"S-San…ten…K-Ke-Keshun," she grind out, and a triangle formed behind her before she crashed on the cold, hard concrete. The impact sent dust and rubble everywhere, making her cough. It cleared as she saw Kurosaki-kun mere inches away from her. "K-Kuro…s-saki-kun," she whispered to the still unconscious man, tears pooling at her eyes. She reached out to him, her hands soaked in blood, dirt and dust, limp and trembling.

 _I will protect you_ , echoed in her mind.

Suddenly, a series of images flashed through her mind; memories of the countless times he protected and saved her.

The time her Hollowfied brother intend to kill her…

The time they saved Rukia-san…

The fight with Grimmjow…

The agony she felt when Ulquiorra killed him…

She smiled weakly as she remembered her own promise to protect and heal him no matter what. Her hand slipped through the barrier of Soten Kisshun, her pinky finger laced with his own, and then she whispered, "I promise."

She released her finger and feebly stood, pain jolting from her feet to her legs, hips and shoulders, before coursing through her whole body. "I made a promise," she started, gaining the Emperor's attention – who had now standing before her. "I made a promise to protect and heal him no matter what,"

Yhwach resumed his stance yet briefly, he wondered why the woman's actions up until now haven't been the clearest in his mind even with his use of _The Almighty_. She has consecutively managed to raise surprise attacks and defences upon him.

Just who and what is she?

He forgone that train of thought and focused on the matter at hand. He walked towards her as the energy shrouding him has multiplied. Koten Zanshun whizzed by his ear. She flicked her wrist and successive assaults of light shot from all directions. He dodged each and closed the distance between them. He grabbed her by the neck, slowly crushing her airways as he levitated. A golden light shimmered below them, making him glance. A pentagon of golden light is arranged on the ground, and they are at its center.

He was about to use Hirenkyaku to escape, but the girl latched tightly at him. He tried to shake her off to no avail. "Fool. A suicidal attack," he berated. He flew upwards yet the pentagon seemed to always include him in its line of attack. It grew brighter. He cursed before hearing the girl.

"Goten Saishun."

* * *

 **kalmaegi: Thank you. I am actually looking for something to explain Orihime's powers and give an actual fight scene for her. Not just any random Hollows. I want it similar to how Kubo-sensei write fights.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

"Goten Saishun," whispered the woman as a shining pillar of golden light erupted from the pentagon below them. Yhwach felt the burning sensation across his whole body. He gnashed his teeth together in pain. He had felt the former Captain Commander's fiery _Bankai_ before and had been an infernal damnation, but this one measly human's technique – although incomparable in strength – felt like he was being stripped of his godly powers and inflamed like a mortal. None of his abilities, not even the sacred _Blut Vene,_ had been of any use. He gripped his hands on her neck tightly. She yelped, but not before making him glance at his own arms. His cloak of dark energy fizzled out of existence like dirt being washed away by the ever-flowing stream of water. He looked at his other arm, then to his body, seeing the very same result.

"You, woman…" he started with a growl in his voice but it immediately trailed off when he saw her injuries, like his dark energy, fizzling out of existence. The bloods on her clothes were carried upwards before dissolving out of thin air. The light reached the sky, parting the clouds revealing sunlight, before finally thinning into golden threads and disappearing.

 _A Sprenger?_ He asked himself, incredulous. A mortal human just performed a high-level Quincy technique. He felt like laughing, partly because of the stupidity of the idea of using a Quincy technique against the progenitor of all Quincies, but also because he could not find any proper response as to how this woman – if she was a Quincy – could evade his perfect foresight. His hold of her loosened, making the girl gasp for air. "Speak, you!"

"Five Sacred Purifying Shield," she said, still gasping for air. "It is a shield that combines outer and inner shield phenomena rejection. It is a purifying pillar of light that purges those it perceives as enemies and heals those it perceives as allies, inside out."

 _Phenomena Rejection_ , he repeated in his mind. How is it possible that a one timid human woman is capable of having and anti-godly powers? He paused letting all of this information in his mind. So, this is the reason she was unable to heal the Soul King; because she is rejecting the very essence of the opposite of her power; and the reason why he could not see any of her immediate responses to his attacks, because he himself is a godly being, even more so now that he has absorbed his father.

He threw her higher into the air, sending energy barrage of arrows to buy him some time to think of possible ways he could deal with the complicated nature of her abilities. He replayed everything from the moment they clashed.

Those shields of hers are reishi-based weapons

Her speed and energy platform is similar to Hirenkyayu techniques

And now, a five-pointed Sprenger

All Quincy techniques, but her powers are sealed within a physical container of affection like those of the pathetic human Fullbringers yet the woman does not possess any Hollow reiatsu. She manifests sentient beings like a Shinigami's Zanpakutou spirit. He briefly glanced at the unconscious boy below. She is just like him, both human but possessing attributes of: Quincy, Fullbring and Hollow, and Shinigami. However, whereas the boy is a true _Einer von Allem_ – one of everything – this woman is none. She has similarities with the races yet she is none of them – a _Nichts von Allem._

Impossible! She can't possibly be a descendant of that creature. What are the circumstances that he would actually find the one thing that wasn't made in accordance to the Divine, but rather against it? If she were its descendant, how else would she be alive, seeing as that creature is cursed to be rejected by the world?

She would probably be killed even by her family, ostracized by her peers, singled out by her friends and enemies, rejected by everyone she meet in her world or the next. She would even curse herself, because that is her nature: to be rejected and to reject.

He felt a cold creeping up his spine. Now, he hasn't felt that in thousands of years. He surveyed her yet again. That creature is heralded by a symbol with three "6" – the very same symbol that humans associate with the monster or the demon. He halted the assault of arrows, revealing that she has blocked them and received only minor injuries. Her shield emanated a radiant golden light with her ability to reject phenomena, and whose power is sealed within six-pointed hairpins: one for each side of her head and one sitting below the collar of her neck.

He felt the chill again. He let his lips curve into a small grin.

"You're the Anti-God, aren't you?"

 **A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. Its raining down here with chances of the electricity going out bt I really want to update, so here.**

kalmaegi: your reviews truly inspire me to continue writing this down. Truth be told I theorized for days before coming up with this story to actually sum up everything that I want for Orihime. That is, a proper explanation of her powers and a proper fight. She doesn't need to win. I just want to acknowledge her abilites to its full extent. Anyways, thank you for reviewing! :D

maryomafyotu406: Thank you for reviewing! :D


	4. Daughter of Light

Chapter IV

All the knowledge he has gained through his immortality had always given him the perfect hindsight, and all victory he has won has been due to The Almighty as it had always provided him perfect foresight. He knows all that had occurred and shall occur. Where there is past, there is future. Where there is death, there is life. Where there is darkness, there is light. There is a balance, yet there is division. It is why he had undergone this holy crusade. He must destroy such balance, to lift all divisions among the worlds, to unify all races, and above them, sitting upon a pedestal, is him – a king who shall govern each and every one. However, the millennia before his creation have always been a blank spot for him. There must be a balance to destroy, yet why must there be only a single entity – the Soul King – who himself is not a balanced being without his eternal pair.

He had theorized that there must be someone, someone of equal position to the Soul King, yet all information regarding his theory all traced to one particular myth – the fabled Anti-God. Legend has it that there was once a being of unparalleled beauty and immense radiance, appropriately heralded by her title, the Morning Star or Light Bringer. Consumed by her vanity and narcissism, she led a rebellion in an attempt to take the throne for herself. However, she failed and as punishment, had been stripped of her powers and iron-branded by three six-pointed symbols. She fled from the realm and swore vengeance, hiding and agonizingly waiting for her powers to return. As a sign of her revolt against those who wronged her, she moulded her powers against natural laws. She turned her own powers as a shining mockery by twisting all races' philosophy against their creator's Divine Will.

 _Such an amazing tale_ , Yhwach sneered in disgust. Here he was, a grown man, believing in made-up stories meant to scare children to sleep. The woman being a descendant of a fabled monster seems too farfetched. However, there is truth in every tale, he acknowledged. He had always wondered why the Soul King would be so inane as to foster a being so against his very own nature. Why else would the Soul King create a creature that was to be rejected by him and the world? The answer had always eluded him until now.

The Soul King did not create the Anti-God. They are supposed to be equals. If he were to foster her, there will be an imbalance in their powers. The answer is that they were the eternal pair. No one created who. They are created together. Then why hasn't all information regarding this supposed spouse is next to being inexistent?

Yhwach had an epiphany. The Soul King himself is capable of foresight. He must have seen that his own son will lead a rebellion against him. He planned all of this. He set everything in motion, even his own death. Yhwach sensed that the fable deliberately hid facts by twisting it the other way around. There is no rebellion to begin with. There are no monsters. She did not flee the Royal Palace to exact vengeance. She did not even lose her powers. He had an inkling of a thought that it was all part of their plan. She, with her powers so opposed to him, did everything in her power to support him; even if it meant damning their love in an eternal separation because that is what balance is: it divides. He looked at the woman before him, then at Ichigo below. A woman protecting and supporting the man she so loves.

There is a pair, and only then, when the two of them have truly come together, in perfect balance, will the millenia old plot be fully realized.

Where there is death, there is life

Where there is darkness, there is light

Where there is the son, there is the daughter

And where there is a King, there is a…

A flash of light whizzed by his ear, making him dodge. He summoned a sword and sped towards her, intent to land a fatal blow, but it only met the shield. It cracked but the damage on the triangle immediately disappeared. He smirked, but the triangle immediately burst into shards in front of him as he felt pain from his abdomen. The woman shattered her own shield to buy herself some time to deal a point-blank attack. He was thrown further below. He used his cloak of darkness to heal the injury as he summoned another sword. He used _Hirenkyakyu_ to close the distance between them and appear behind her. He brought his left down, but it quickly met one of the tips of the shield. He stabbed with his right, but the shield moved again to block him. Orihime Inoue made a palm thrust upon the shield, it moving along with her, multiplying the force and hitting him in his whole person that sent him flying several feet away. The sensation was akin to being hit by a thick wall that made Yhwach spat blood. He quickly darted his eyes at her, noticing that the woman has released all six of her sprites. The six trail of lights converged at the single six pointed symbol beneath her collar.

"Rokuten Hishun!"

A/N: I am so, so, so sorry for updating very late and very short. I've been really out of myself these past few days, and only now did I found the courage. Now, thank you very much for all those reviews. One note though. Goten Saishun is read as 五天斎盾 while Rokuten Hishun is read as 六天妃盾. I followed the usual pattern of the writing of Orihime's techniques and substituted kanji on other parts. So yeah, my translation may not be as accurate. I do apologize in advance.

Flowerylemon: Thank you, and certainly I will continue and finish this! :)

kalmaegi: I know I have said this before, but I shall say it again. Your reviews truly inspire to continue finishing this story. Furthermore, our minds are aligned. Oh my gosh! I did consider the word "mockery" when I was writing the draft eons ago. Your review just made me consider putting it again. And, wow, I also considered the statement of the Arrancar girls regarding Orihime's power because I always believed that it was the closest thing we got of a first-hand experience of resurrection power at work. With that in mind, I firmly believe that what Aizen said about her powers are actually true, and between you and I, I also think that, if Orihime did not have an emotional breakdown back when Ichigo was killed by Ulquiorra, she would be able to resurrect him. :)

seradesu: Thank you very much. It is also one of the reasons I pursued this. I mean if we can't have it on the manga, the next best thing would be fanfic, but alas, there are limited numbers. So, this one is for all of us Orihime fans. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V

"Shun-o," whispered his owner, and out appeared the top-knotted captain of the Shun Shun Rikka amidst the darkness. He looked around to see his beckoner staring at him with intent eyes.

"Where is the injury?" He asked, wondering what the emergency was as his eyes darted across the frowning face of Orihime. "Where…" he trailed.

"There is no injury to heal," answered Orihime before he could finish his question, shaking her head. It baffled him. Usually, she will just have to direct them to her target using her hands, not conversing like before to ask permission to use them. Before he could ask again, she spoke. "I just need something to ask," she finished, her tone taking a serious one.

He did not like it. Whenever she uses that tone, she means business. "Okay, I think I know," he replied. It resonated with him, what she intends to convey. He is a part of her, after all. Her thoughts are his thoughts. However, he hesitated. "I don't think it is a good idea."

"Why?" she asked, a bit of her hidden tenacity showing on her tone.

"We just learned how to properly use Goten Saishun yesterday. We haven't even mastered it yet. Now you're attempting to learn the sixth shield," Shun-o argued, with each word he said, his voice rising an octave higher. He saw her flinch, making him regret his own actions. He calmed down after a few seconds.

"Please. Please, I need this," she pleaded, yet her eyes are resolute.

Shun-o sighed, relenting. He could never resist her. He relented. This, in itself, is a direct order from her. As an embodiment of her will, he must acquiesce despite the danger it poses. "Okay," he breathed. "The sixth shield..."

"Um, Shun-o…" Orihime interrupted, taking the attention of the de-facto captain.

"Hm?"

"I was just wondering…" She hesitated, before proceeding with the one question that had boggled her mind all this time. "What am I?"

"Shun-o's eyebrows furrowed, confused. "What do you mean 'what are you'?" cocked his head. "You're a human."

"Yeah, yeah…I get that I'm a human, but _what am I?_ " She gestured with her hands towards her whole body. "I mean Kurosaki-kun is a human but he's a Shinigami. Ishida-kun is also a human but he's a Quincy…aaand…Sado-kun is also a human but he's a Fullbringer. I mean, what am I among those?" She pouted, which the sprite found quite endearing as he lightly chuckled. Orihime then continued her rant. "It feels like I'm a Shinigami since I basically release you from sealed forms like their swords, but I also feel like I could be a Quincy because I use reishi-based constructs. Then, I could also feel that I might be a Fullbringer since these hairpins are my dear possessions, and that Sado-kun and I gained our powers at the same time," she stopped, looking at the sand below her feet.

Shun-o sighed then exhaled, preparing himself to discuss so many technicalities. "Hmmm…Frankly speaking, we don't know what we are, but I can surely say that we are none of those three," he started with a small smile. "Fullbringers do manifest something out of their prized possessions or objects in general; all the while their reiatsu is more akin to Hollows than any other spiritual races. However, since their powers come from a sort of object, thing, or anything with no sentience, their powers are bound to be something insentient too. We are sentient beings, and if we are a by-product of Hollow reiatsu, we would have to possess an Arrancar remnant masks," he paused, letting the information settle in with Orihime.

"O-Okay," she replied silently. When she did not respond, Shun-o took it as a chance to continue his explanation.

"In terms of being a Shinigami," he paused, rubbing his chin with his fingers, in contemplation. "How should I explain this? Well, we are somewhat, in a sense, in a _released state_ like a Shikai; and we function similar to their Kido: Santen Kesshun to a Bakudo, Souten Kisshun to a Kaido, and Koten Zanshun to a Hado…but…but…" he trailed, as Orihime focused her attention in anticipation. "That's it," he finished with a smile.

"What? What do you mean _that's it_?" Orihime asked, suddenly confused all of a sudden.

"Well, I mean if we are an actual Shikai, you would need to have a release command. You summon us by our names and techniques to use us. Most of time, you don't need to do it anymore. You're already at a point where you can cast us without any incantation. And if you are a Shinigami, your Chain of Fate must be severed beforehand like that of Kurosaki Ichigo," he pointed out.

"Oh…you're right."

"And in terms of being a Quincy, Ishida Uryu collects and absorbs reishi from the surrounding environment. We, on the other hand, create reishi out of your own willpower," he announced proudly with a puff of his chest.

"Oh," she mouthed, seemingly disappointed, Shun-o felt for her. He flew towards her to console her, but she turned to face him again with an unexplainable renewed vigour. "Shun-o, if you don't know what I am, then how come you know the names of your techniques that you taught me…or…or your origins?"

The question caught him off-guard, making him stumble back. He recomposed himself before answering. "In terms of our origins, we have always known how we came to be."

"What do you mean?" probed the girl.

"Well, it's like this…similar to humans, they know who their parents are, and you know what those parents did, to...you know," he let out a fake cough as a blush appeared on his cheeks.

This made Orihime blush too. "Waaa…waaa…okay, okay, I get it."

"It's like that, we know the causes. These being Kurosaki Ichigo's growing reiatsu that affected you, the Hogyoku that grants a person's wish, and ultimately your own desire that triggered it. These are our 'parents'. What we do not know is similar to how humans have no clue regarding their development inside their mother's womb."

"Okay, it's like a fetus doesn't know that he's a fetus," Orihime suggested.

"Yes, something like that."

"Then how about the names of your techniques? How did you know them?"

"Well, we named Shiten Koshun and Goten Saishun, but the first three you used was, well, someone told us."

"Who?"

"I don't know. We assumed it was your inner voice, since it seems like a female one, but that is until we found out that you have no idea about us when you first summoned us to fight Numb Chandelier."

"Oh…"

"Orihime, I am now going to explain the sixth shield. Please listen very carefully," stated Shun-o in a very business-like tone. Orihime immediately focused her full attention to the sprite.

"The sixth shield is…unlike all of your previous techniques. It doesn't just combine all six of us to create a physical shield. If we are to make another comparison, it would be similar to a Bankai; that is why this technique takes at least a decade to master," he paused when he heard Orihime inhaled a large amount of air. Clearly, she was surprised. He continued. "Doing this without the appropriate training could cause a detrimental effect on you."

"A decade? I don't have a decade!"

"Wait," he called her immediately. "I did say that it would take ten years to properly use it, but I didn't say that there are no other ways to attain it." In this, Orihime calmed down. "As I have mentioned a while ago, we can create reishi from your will that is why we may be able to create another hairpin composed of condensed large quantities of reishi, to force the sixth shield to appear. However, it also comes with a great price as we are basically going to force your body to control large amounts of spiritual power. First is, you will only be use it for a limited amount of time. And second, you'll exhaust all of your energy, and will likely be unable to use your powers for an extended amount of time. Are you prepared?"

"Yes," spoke Orihime. Shun-o's eyes widened for the first time since his birth. Immediately, he remembered all of those times that he and Ayame were summoned to heal behind the front lines, watching Orihime as she looked at the battlefield. Her eyes spoke volumes of how she wants to go there, join her friends, and fight, but she can't. She can't because they relied for her to stay back and heal the wounded. True, she was a healer, but he can feel her wish to be something more than that. The realization made him shed tears which he quickly wiped with his sleeves.

"All of us are your most definite traits. I am your Wisdom. Ayame is your Humility. Baigon is your Resilience. Lily is your Love. Hinaigiku is your Joy, and Tsubaki is your Courage. We are the Six Princess-Shielding Flowers, born to protect you, but the sixth shield is not just a physical shield. It is you combining with us and becoming the shield. It is you who will be protecting the people you hold dear. That is what the sixth shield is. Now, Orihime Inoue, call us our names!" Shun-o flew towards the sky as all of his brethren followed him from the now growing hairpins on both sides of Orihime's head.

Amidst the darkness of Hueco Mundo's perpetual night, light shone like the sun rising from the east as a six-pointed symbol appeared at the sky, and with an amalgamation of all the voices of all Shun Shun Rikka, they said, "Answer us this, Orihime. What is the level surpassing that of being a princess?"

 **A/N: Listen to _BLEACH OST 1 #19 – Never Meant to Belong_ in this part**

Ichigo's eyes opened with a start. He could feel that his strength has been replenished but only by a bare minimum, enough for him to move his body. He was still encased within the dome of Inoue's Souten Kisshun but he could not feel his powers returning. Weakly, he glanced at his still broken Zanpakutou. Then, he heard it, the undeniable sound of battle.

Inoue!

 _Thump_

 _Thump_

 _Thump_

Slowly and agonizingly, his eyes trailed to that ardent clashing of sounds to witness Inoue being gripped by Yhwach at her neck, her clothes ripped and soaked in dried blood. She had a closed barely visible gash on her stomach. She was heaving, and her face worn.

 _Inoue!_ Feeble and weak in his knees, he stood up and rammed himself upon the shield, trying to break it. However, the moment he made contact with it, he was repelled back by a strong opposing force. He was sent sitting back. He stood again and punched the shield, again and again. And again and again, his fists bled with the force that the shield reeled back. He felt the numbness of his hands, and it fell limply by his sides.

 _Inoue_

 _Sweet innocent Inoue_

 _Don't fight_

 _Stop_

 _Please_

 _The Inoue that is so gentle_

 _So compassionate_

 _I remember how you showed compassion even to those bastards who kidnapped you_

 _I could never forgive them for what they did to you_

 _That's why_

 _That's why_

 _A person so pure should not experience this_

 _So please_

 _Don't fight_

 _I don't want you to get hurt_

 _Please_

 _Inoue_

 _I care about you_

 _You don't have to fight for me_

 _Or win for me_

 _I just want you safe here_

 _Safe here with me_

 _So please_

 _I swear, I'll protect you_

 _Stop_

 _Inoue_

 _I can do it_

 _Please let me do it_

 _It hurts_

 _Why does it hurt so much?_

 _It's so painful_

 _My head_

 _My chest,_

 _My stomach hurts_

He saw that Ywhachs' grip on her is slowly crushing her neck, and it broke something inside him. He bit his lips till he could taste the iron from his blood. He ground his teeth in fury.

 _Stop this, Yhwach!_

 _Let her go, you bastard!_

 _She has nothing to do with you!_

He was helpless again, made to watch the one person he held dear. _Inoue! Stop. I don't want…I don't want you to..t-to…_

 _There is nothing I can do._

 _It's all because I'm weak_

As if on cue, the shield raised upwards, with two streams of light position themselves several yards away. Out of the ground, a thick pillar of golden light erupted towards the sky, swallowing Yhwach and Inoue. His eyes widened with the realization.

"No," his voice came out hoarse

"Inoue!" He found his voice, yet the loud surge of energy muted his shouts. She…she…sacrificed herself to finish a fight…to finish **his** fight. ' _Inoue is gone,'_ a voice vaguely reminiscent to the Hollow Zangetsu seems to speak in his mind. The realization brought him weakly to his knees.

"INOUEEE!" He wilted down to his knees as his shoulder slumped in defeat. A single tear slid down from his eyes. _I haven't told you yet, that I…that I'm in l…_

Slowly the pillar dissipated revealing that Yhwach's dark cloak and Inoue's wounds gone. He heaved a sigh of relief as he cried tears of joy. She's alright. Inoue is unhurt. Inoue is strong. Inoue can fight. Inoue is Inoue. Inoue is amazing. In a split second of realization, memories paraded inside his head of all those times she had shielded him from certain harm, saved him from certain peril, and all of the times that she healed him with unyielding spirit despite his otherwise grotesque wounds.

Inoue, I believe in you.

He looked on as the light shone brighter from her chest, and in a flash, it flew high up above the sky. It stopped midair as six giant points grew in length. It was a single huge Shun Shun Rikka hairpin composed of golden reishi. It bears the likeness of the sun, and it grew larger as it came nearer and nearer towards Inoue. She raised her arms gently, her hands casting a shadow over her face, and her fingers curling lightly. She closed her eyes as she was swallowed by the large golden sigil.

However, Yhwach drew his bow and quickly sent a black substance-enhanced arrow towards her. _No! Inoue!_ Mustering the remainder of his strength, Ichigo flash-stepped to protect her with his own body, and everything went black, as he felt the familiar feeling of a blade piercing his flesh.

 **A/N: Watch and Listen to** ** _Romeo x Juliet- Final Scene English Dub_** **before reading this part**

Inoue's eyes shot open as the sigil that has now moved below her hips shattered. Time stood still.

.

Like watching in slow motion, Orihime saw Kurosaki-kun fell down.

.

Like moving in slow motion, Orihime reached with both of her arms.

.

Like falling in slow motion, Orihime dove towards the ground to catch him.

.

"K-Kuros-sak-ki-k-kun…w-why?" Inoue asked, sobbing. She cradled his head on her lap as tears poured from her eyes to his cheeks.

"I-I'm glad I-Inoue is u-unhurt," Kurosaki-kun smiled, with that sincere boyish smile she admired him for, then he became limp in her arms.

"K-Kurosaki-i-k-kun-n…" Orihime heaved large gulps of air. "Kurosaki-kun? H-Hey, Kurosaki-kun… " tears slowly poured from her eyes. There, a large dense black arrow was lodged between his chest…chest…

Chest?

 _Thump_

 _Thump_

 _Thump_

 _THUMP_

Her heart raced. Blood rang in her ears. She whimpered as she attempted to keep herself from crying.

 _I promised. I promised that I will heal you no matter what. I promised. I promised not to be a burden. I promised. I promised to protect you._

 _THUMP!_ Souten Kisshun appeared to cover his body, but it shattered.

Memories of those times that she failed him, failed to heal him, to support him, washed over her. _Why? Why? Why do I always fail you?_

"Please wake up, Kurosaki-kun. We still have to graduate. You, me, Sado-kun, and Ishida-kun together with Tatsuki-chan and the others; we still have to graduate," she begged.

 _THUMP!_ Souten Kisshun appeared to cover his body, but it shattered.

"Please wake up, so that we can all go home together. Your father and sisters are waiting for you. And…and…I still have to return to you that very cool anime you said was loosely based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet," she sniffled, nose runny and eyes red and puffy.

 _THUMP!_ Souten Kisshun appeared to cover his body, but it shattered.

The man she has put her faith into has stopped breathing. His chest did not beat anymore. She bit her lip in vain as the reality has slowly sunk in, and as the third shattering of the Souten Kisshun was heard among the clearing, she could hear her own heart shattering as she was once again made a witness of her beloved man's death. The unbearable pain in her heart pushed her to let out an agonized heart-breaking scream.

"KUROSAKI-KUN! NOOO!"

 _For all our life and until death, together shall we be, henceforth to the end of eternity_ , remembered Orihime as one of the best lines of that anime. She remembered that particular scene where Juliet held a lifeless Romeo. She saw their parallels but…"Kurosaki-kun, we don't have to be like Romeo and Juliet. I don't care if you reciprocate my feelings of not…that's why…that's why…please wake up."

 _"Have you gone numb from the pain? Go to a doctor."_

 _"Want me to walk you home?"_

 _"Ok! See ya tomorrow!"_

 _"If you want to kill Inoue, you better kill me first"_

 _"Inoue is Inoue. She doesn't belong to anyone"_

 _"Thank you…Inoue"_

 _"Inoue…Please"_

 _"Inoue, are you hurt?"_

 _"Sorry I'm late, Inoue"_

 _"I will protect you, without fail"_

 _"Because of you, Inoue was marked as a traitor!"_

 _"Let go of her"_

 _"Inoue…please heal me."_

 _"Don't worry; I'll win this for sure"_

 _"Sorry…are you scared? Telling you to be at ease would be difficult, but please allow me to say it"_

 _"You hurt at all, Inoue?"_

 _"I'm happy that Inoue isn't hurt."_

 _"Let Inoue go!"_

 _"Thanks for protecting me, Inoue"_

 _"Inoue…are you okay?"_

 _"That's part of who you are, and it's not a bad thing"_

 _"Two against one. I suppose it seems a little unfair. You'll be in charge of defense. I'm counting on you, Inoue."_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _"I-I'm glad I-Inoue is u-unhurt,"_

It all echoed inside her at the same time. _Countless times, he protected us. Countless times he became a shield to protect us. Countless times he became a sword to fight for us. It's my turn now, to protect and fight for everything he stood for._

"Stop this meaningless fight, woman," approached the Quincy Emperor behind her, brows furrowed.

"Your majesty," Orihime turned back at him, with such undecipherable eyes. She smiled at him as she cradled the boy's head on her lap. "I cannot turn my back from or reject a world that Kurosaki-kun has fought so hard to protect," finished the woman as her eyes crinkled into a watery smile. Her body gathered glistening gold reishi. She turned back towards the man lying beside her.

 _Say it_ , she told herself. _Say it, Orihime._ She wiped the tears from her eyes, then mouthed those words for the second time in her life. "I love you, Kurosaki-kun."

"Very well, woman," poised Yhwach, branding a new set of broadswords, seemingly intent of finishing this battle once and for all. However, though he was externally ready, his mind was in disarray. When did he start to refer this kid as a woman, and the boy as a man? Suddenly, it dawned upon him that these kids, particularly this woman bore wisdom similar to his own. Her eyes spoke years beyond her. Belatedly, Yhwach remembered that last line from the age-old legend. He realized that it was the very same reason that he found her determined eyes with immense discomfort, her proclamations of affection with utter disgust, and the glow of her shields with gross repulsion.

 _But you shall know_

Of her solemn vow

 _By the fire in her sight_

 _And by the warmth of her light_

It was compassion; compassion she gives even to her enemies, compassion she gives even to those who have wronged her; too much compassion that people perceives it as nothing more than the pity from the high and mighty, yet it is with compassion that she managed to antagonize him to this level. All along he thought that she was nothing more than a pitiable girl implicated in a war she could not even comprehend. He smirked.

"Woman, never did a human, much less a female, had ever earned my respect. I commend you. Both of you," he gestured towards Ichigo.

The woman smiled ruefully as she was swallowed by a seemingly flower bud of golden light. Yhwach shielded his eyes from the blinding spark as it immediately flew towards the sky. The light left the boy protected by a large dome. The Quincy King flew towards her, doubling his speed before realizing that the "flower bud" had begun to unfurl in the middle of the sky, revealing six petals. In the middle, sitting was the woman whose hair grew in length and whose back sprouted six large golden wings of pure reishi. She unfurled her wings and with a flap, the flower she was sitting upon on, dissipated into tiny, soft, golden, snow-like particles across the air. She was looking up with a beatific expression as light shone upon her. It graced her with the air of reverence, like a goddess has descended from the heavens.

There it was a winged form similar to Quincies' Vollständig, yet a final one in the sense like those of Shinigamis' Bankai, all the while still a human like a Fullbringer.

"Göttin," he smirked as he began his assault.

* * *

 **A/N: I am so back. So very sorry for the delay. I have been busy due to work, then I came down with a flu. *sighs*. Anyways, thank you everyone for those feedbacks. Sadly, we are going to part with the next chapter. Hahaha. Speaking of, brace yourselves for a reunion next chapter. :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Wings of Damnation

Chapter VI: Wings of Damnation

"If I were the rain. . . that binds together the Earth and the Sky, whom in all eternity will never mingle. . . Would I be able to bind two hearts together?"

-Orihime Kurosaki (née Inoue)

* * *

 **A/N: And here it is, the Final Chapter of The Fight. I really hope that you will all enjoy this little piece. Thank you everyone, for all the support and encouragement that you've given me. I hope that you can also share this to all of your other Orihime or IchiHime friends! A little warning though...This story is a little bit of a songfic, I guess? I really want you to read the story as you listen to my song recommendations. I modeled the story flow based on those songs, so please do give it a try. Now, on to the story...**

* * *

Rukia was momentarily blinded by a sudden flash of light. She rubbed her eyes with her hands, all the while blinking rapidly to remove the black spots from her periphery.

"What the hell was that?" Renji skidded to a halt an inch behind her.

"I don't know, but…"she trailed off before noticing that snow-like particles have begun to rain down from the sky. She held up her palms to catch a lone particle.

"It's snow," commented the man behind her, as he looked from over her shoulder. The act made her self-conscious if only for a little bit.

"No, it's not," she replied., scrutinizing the snow. It felt familiar. "It's reishi."

"A reishi? Who would release such huge amounts of reishi at this time?" Renji asked, before letting out a surprised "Woah!"

"What? What is it?" Rukia turned towards him, putting her hands of his arms. She quickly withdrew it before turning to the side to hide the small blush that began to color her cheeks.

"I just..I just felt a rush of strength. It's like I'm being…" He stopped mid-speaking, staring blankly ahead, trying to find the appropriate words.

"Healed by Inoue," finished Rukia. She then looked at the source of the light, now fading into the distance.

"What's going on, Inoue?"

"We better hurry up," announced Renji as he took her head.

A fit of giggles echoed behind them. A cold rush ran down her spine as hairs stood on end. It took her half a second to realize that it had not come from terror. No, it has this certain sense of familiarity. Those voices…those voices…are from when she was but a child living the streets of Rukongai. Slowly, she looked behind to see.

"Hey, Rukia! Hey, Renji!" greeted the smiling faces of all their childhood friends, laughing merrily. Rukia's eyes stung for a moment. She covered her mouth and held her breath. Her friends, whom she and Renji had buried on the uphill, were laughing as they skipped happily towards them.

"You…" Renji seemed to have found his voice as he pointed at them. His voice was trembling a bit.

They circled the two of them. "Congratulations, you too! You've become Shinigamis!"

"B-But how? You were…you were…" gaped Rukia.

"Dead? Well, let's just say that a goddess called us," said the one in front of her, before realization dawned upon his young features. "It seems that our time is up. Thank you Rukia and Renji. You'll always be in our hearts. Take good care of each other. You have our blessings..." and then they faded into the golden snow-like particles.

"Wait!" Rukia tried to reach out but they were gone.

"Uh, Rukia?" Renji tapped her shoulders with his fingers. "Rukia," tapped again. "Hey, Rukia," called a bit louder by the man.

"What?" She turned a bit too briskly and irritatingly, before seeing a woman has blocked their path.

She was clad in an elaborate plum-colored kimono, and eyes so gentle yet marred with guilt. Rukia's breath hitched, as her eyes widened. He heart thudded so loudly from her chest, that she felt that it could burst any second. Blood rang in her ears. A single tear slid down her cheek as she regarded this woman whose face she can never forget.

A face that is a mirror of her own

"Hisana-onee-sama."

* * *

 **A/N: Listen to _Mezame_ or _A Song of Storm and Fire_ in this part**

* * *

Yhwach envisioned that the Soten Kisshun would break, just as the dome encasing Ichigo shattered. Immediately, it was replaced by a dozens of domes appearing out of thin air, like bubbles glued in with each other.

 _Thud._ He stood still. Something is happening, and his instinct is all but telling him to close his eyes. Momentarily, he put his vision off, yet still kept guard for any impending attacks from the woman. In his mind's eye, he saw that all of possible futures – where Ichigo and his Zanpakuto recovering—that he had sealed opened one after another. It was like a black fabric being rend open in the middle by a half oval Garganta. He looked around him to see that not just one but hundreds of half ovals are playing all possible events like a pathetic human film.

 _A half oval,_ he gritted his teeth in annoyance. Once again, with The Almighty, he sealed them like mending the hole of a cloth.

 _Cloth…fabric…An Orihime who can manipulate the fabric of reality. Such a namesake,_ he mused as he opened his eyes and grinned maliciously at her.

 _Thud_. There it was again! He closed his eyes and observed that his progress was slow. Too slow. _You mean to tell me, that the rate that this woman rejects the past is faster than I can change the future! Preposterous!_ He growled inwardly at the incredulity.

"You!" He opened his eyes and burned them on the woman before him. An eerie silence fell down upon them and in a gust wind, Yhwach disappeared. He encased Inoue Orihime in a dark orb of turbulent energy.

It exploded like a balloon, scattering remnants of dark energy. And in the middle stood resolutely a spherical barrier made of interconnecting triangles.

Immediately, he summoned his bow and fired hundreds of arrows towards her. It sent a gigantic violent explosion that cleared the skies of clouds. The shield remained intact as the rubble cleared. He drew another round from his bow and fired from all directions. In a split second, he used The Almighty to remove her shield in half a second from now.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed boisterously as he heard her screams drowned by the catastrophic explosions. He shifted to his broadswords and sped towards her. He brought down his sword. She dodged, but he cleaved the topmost wing on her left.

Orihime flew to the left but the wing on her right shoulder shattered with a slash of sword. She escaped upwards as he followed and matched her speed. He shifted to his bow again and summoned thousands of arrows that flew and followed the woman towards the air.

She flew left.

Then right.

Then Left.

Left again.

Turned to right.

Another right

She avoided each zooming arrow, and then all of a sudden, she stopped midair, put her arms together over her head. A circle appeared like halo. She spread her arms outward, enlarging the golden circle that released a hundred homing trails of lights raining down upon all of his Heilig Pfeil arrows. The clash of two forces sent rubble and smoke into the air, blocking her vision.

Yhwach appeared beside her and shattered another wing on her right, leaving her with only three. She grabbed his sword, wincing as the pure reishi punctured the skin on her palm. Then she swung her arm that hit the Quincy King right across the face a second time.

He stumbled back, holding his now broken jaw. He released a burst of darkness stream that darkened the whole sky. She immediately escaped him before she was hit. He used Hirenkyaku once again to appear behind her. He swung his sword as he followed the attack by the dark mass of energy.

He saw several golden lights twinkle before the impact detonated numerous other explosions that bombarded him. He quickly conjured hi own barrier but he was a second too late. Among the raging fire and billowing harsh black smoke, there she stood inside her pyramidal shield. He looked around them to see that they were all surrounded by floating golden pyramids.

"GAHHH!" He sent spears towards her, but she rearranged her pyramids, bounding all impacts that reflected his attack right. He dispelled it with a wave of his hand.

 _My own attack! Turned against me!_ He saw red, and he swung blade after blade right after her. She protected herself with her remaining three wings. He gripped one wing with his bare hand and swung with so much force, that not only was he able to crumble one, but also sent the woman flying.

She immediately regained her flight as she rose higher. He followed.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" he laughed in vicious fury. "Woman, it really is a game we're playing. A Chess! Me, a King! And you, a pawn-turned-Queen! Are trying to turn the tables around to our advantages! Tell me, woman, are we not circumventing each other's' abilities using our own, trying to play checkmate? Answer me, woman!"

 _Guh._ She struggled with the force of the explosion. She whimpered she was once again assaulted by a surge of dark energy. It hit in her in the face, making her spat blood. She opened her wings to fly but she was kicked to another direction. She heaved one she was able to stop. She coughed, as she noticed her labored breathing. The mixture of blood, sweat and tears clouded her vision. She swallowed the sobs that were threatening to come out from her mouth. She was so close to crying. "I…" she struggled to speak. "I don't c-care…i-if you t-think that…" she paused. "…that we are only p-playing. B-but, I-I know what I'm d-doing…It…It is to fight."

She flew upward again, avoiding the tentacles sent by the Quincy King. Left. Left. Right. Left. Right. She sped further but she was caught. A tentacle latched itself tightly around her left leg. She yelped in pain. A large black mass raced towards her. She summoned Goten Saishun in front of her that purified the darkness. She summoned another two beside the Quincy King, but before it could release its attack, he disappeared and reappeared beside her. She felt a chill ran down her spine as strength left her body the moment she heard the last two wings shattered like a fragile glass behind her.

"Checkmate," she heard as she felt the heavy weight of the black mass bombarding her body. Her mind went blank as she lost her footing and fell from the heavens.

* * *

"It seems that it is time for us to part once again," said a melancholy Hisana as she stood up from one of the fallen concrete foundation they were sitting on.

"Wait…Onee-sama…please…won't you stay a little bit longer," pleaded Rukia, with tears threatening to escape her eyes. "Please…" she begged, clasping with her the hem of the woman's sleeves. Hisana's face contorted in pain as she too cried.

Hisana knelt down of her knees, hugging her younger sister. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. Please forgive me, Rukia. I cannot atone enough for my sins. Please forgive me for leaving you once again. I am sorry."

"Onee-sama…please…"

"Farewell, Rukia…" Hisana kissed Rukia's forehead before disappearing into golden reishi particles and scattering into the wind.

"Renji…" croaked Rukia as she stood and looked at Renji. She was as beautiful as she was bittersweet, and his heart ached seeing her so broken, like a child crying for help.

So, he did the only thing that he could do.

He hugged her tightly, not intending to let go.

* * *

 **A/N: Listen to _Hoshi no Nagareru Yoru ni_ in this part**

* * *

"Orihime!"

"ORIHIME!" called the Shun Shun Rikka surrounding her. The call woke her up to find herself rapidly falling, the wind whooshing and deafening her ears. She clutched the hairpin resting below her collar.

"Orihime, what are you doing?" asked in panic by Hinaigiku.

"I'm going to…"

"Are you going to release the power of the third hairpin?" Baigon said in a low tone, yet it was noticeably anxious.

"Y-Yes," she said weakly.

"What are you going to the three spirits residing there?" Lily asked in worry.

"It's faint…but I can feel it…Inside his body…are…are familiar reiatsu."

"Reiatsu?" Shun-o asked, but the question was immediately masked by his gasp. "Don't tell me you're going to use those spirits to resurrect absorbed souls?"

"Are you out of your goddamned mind, woman!" shouted Tsubaki beside her ear.

"Y-Yeah…" She sighed. The pins glowed as three other sprites of golden reishi sprang forth and encircled her body. The two flew up towards Yhwach and the other split to a separate direction.

"Whose reiatsu is it" Ayame quipped after her long silence.

"Everyone…since the first time I've come to Soul Society, I've always…I've always tried to look for Kurosaki-kun's mom, Ishida-kun's mom, and Sado-kun's grandfather. I was only able to find Sado-kun's grandfather. I wasn't able to find t-them," she sobbed. "I don't know why before, but I do now…they were inside him…imprisoned."

"I get that you're trying to bring to two people back, but why did you use all three?" asked a now panicking Shun-o.

"It was a gift…a gift to Kuchiki-san," she smiled as she stared weakly at the sky.

"Orihime, please. If you do that, you're condemning those souls to live here for all eternity, unable to reincarnate," cautioned Shun-o. "And, and you will never be able to use the sixth shield, so please, Orihime, I beg you, please…"

Then she looked at them, really looked at them with a sincere smile and weak, tired yet confident eyes – eyes that spoke of things will always be alright. It calmed their waning hearts as a sense of assurance spread throughout their whole bodies. "No, it won't…because, because…I reject."

The sky exploded in light that sent her further and faster to the ground. The velocity prevented her from hearing the sobs and pleas of the Shun Shun Rikka, and blinded her from seeing their faces marred with guilt and tears. Orihime smiled as her body inched the distance to the ground.

 _Santen Kesshun_

Then everything went black.

* * *

"Captain Kuchiki," approached the younger white-haired Captain of the Tenth Squad. He stopped from his tracks to meet the back of the other captain. He was staring off into the distance with a deep look in his visage.

"Yo!" A man jovially shouted from a distance. It made Toshiro look to see that it was the man that he had had admired for such a long time, the man who had been his role model to keep striving to achieve his position with the Thirteen Court Guards. "It's been a long time, Toshiro," patted Captain Shiba on his head. That simple gesture stung his eyes, to which he quickly wiped with his torn sleeve.

"Captain Shiba," he spoke, incredulous, before noticing that he was accompanied by a human.

"Enough with the formalities, Captain Hitsugaya. Just call me Isshin-san," his laughter boomed. It made Toshiro smile. "By the way, where do you think that Uryu kid could be?" he asked, flashing a toothy grin.

He was about to answer the former captain's question when suddenly, a golden light flashed a meter behind them.

Immediately, they drew their weapons and faced the source of the light, only for it to disappear and reveal three women. Hitsugaya heard three separate simultaneous gasps from the three men with him. He lowered his weapon when the women smiled towards different directions. Captain Shiba slowly walked towards a fair-skinned woman with long wavy brown hair, while his companion hesitantly approached a black-haired woman.

 **A/N: Listen to _Over the Rainbow - You've Got Mail Score_ in this part**

"Masaki?" asked his former captain as he hugged the brown-haired woman before she could reply. He cried and cried and cried. Something in the way he knelt down to the feet of the woman as he chanted his apologies stung his eyes the second time that day.

"I'm sorry, Masaki. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you that day. I'm very sorry that I was so weak. Please…please…forgive me," begged the former captain.

Now, Hitsugaya had always been such a proud person. He firmly believes that if one were to lower oneself to the ground and express one's own personal emotions so openly, it would mean casting away one's dignity, and is a sign of weakness. However, he has not seen such an obvious display of strength until now.

Hitsugaya offered a small smile before his eyes landed on the third woman whose back was facing him. She was wearing an elaborate kimono, yet despite the gaudy clothing, he could tell that she was petite and of smaller height. She possesses short black hair…that resembled…

His eyes widened a fraction, realization slowly dawning upon him. This woman was not Kuchiki Rukia. She's the dearly departed Lady of the Kuchiki House! And those two women…he had wondered why these women were too unfamiliar. He did not know them by any means yet when they appeared out of nowhere, he did not have the motivation to strike them down. They could be soldiers sent by Yhwach for all they know. It was as if…something is telling him that these women were not enemies.

It was something familiar.

It was something that had always calmed him.

 _Inoue Orihime! How?_

He quickly calmed himself. There must be a perfectly logical reason as to why this is happening. For the moment, he just observed with caution. He glanced at Captain Kuchiki. He must also be on his guard.

There was no reason he could ever doubt that the woman standing before him was the genuine Hisana. He tried to survey if the reiatsu was actually hers. This presence. This smell. This face, the same beautiful face. These eyes. He cannot find the strength to turn his eyes away from her. She cannot possibly be her.

"Hi...sa…na?" he whispered, voice breaking. Tears clouded his vision as he unthinkingly stepped forward. Everything blurred into undecipherable images. His grip on his sword loosened. He took another step, as he heard Senbonzakura fell to the ground.

"Yes, Byakuya-sama," answered the woman with a watery smile. He closed his eyes, savouring this voice…this infinitely melodic voice. He held her, his hands tight on her shoulders and pressed her against him. And for the first time in fifty years, a single tear slid from his eyes.

Byakuya felt the familiar sensation of her caressing his hair with her fingers. "Don't cry…Wakame Ambassador. Don't cry."

"I wanted it to be you. I desperately wished it to be you."

Captain Hitsugaya watched these exchanges, and despite the growing blush blooming in his cheeks, he remarked to himself, s _o this is what they call love_. His musings immediately halted when the sky has begun to lose its golden snow, bringing with it the oppressive pressure of Yhwach's reiatsu.

 _He's back. Yhwach's within the confines of Soul Society._

"We've got to find Uryu, quickly!" exclaimed the white-haired companion of his former captain. Hitsugaya gasped, seeing that the three women had collapsed into their husbands' arms.

* * *

 **A/N: Listen to _Here to Stay_ in this part**

* * *

"Kuchiki-san…please…" It was a little while after Ichigo and Renji left to follow Yhwach, and Rukia stayed behind to tend to the very much injured Inoue. Rukia had never seen the other girl so beaten and battered like this. It gnawed at her that while she was sorting her personal problem, her friend was beaten an inch to her life. She was not able to protect Inoue. She failed.

"Kuchiki-san, please," repeated the girl lying among the rubble, inside Soten Kisshun.

"Oh, Inoue…" Rukia sighed, brows furrowed in guilt and worry over Inoue's condition. "Isn't it enough that you just fixed Ichigo' Zanpakutou? Doesn't that mean that he will be able to fight?"

"Kuchiki-san, please…"

"Inoue!" exclaimed the Thirteenth Squad Vice Captain, suddenly surprised at herself for losing her temper. She winced when she saw that the healer looked at her intently and stubbornly.

"Please," muttered Inoue, the shield receding even before the healing process could even finish. Slowly, she stood up, forcing Rukia to support her to stay afoot.

"Alright," answered Rukia, as she took the other girl's arm and putting it on her shoulders. She could try to detain her physically or with Kido, but Inoue will always try to find ways to escape towards Ichigo.

"Thanks," said Inoue as they slipped into the portal.

Rukia arrived, still supporting the other girl with her weight. Her friend shifted beside her and rasped "Thank you" once again before taking back her arms, and wobbled towards the cliff. Rukia slowly followed, with her arms spread open before her, intending to catch the still walking Orihime if she fell.

Orihime's vision has begun to blur again. Her thighs and legs screamed in pain and agony. Her knees trembled with every step she took, as she breathed heavily. She fell down on her knees, with Kuchiki-san reprimanding her for being such a klutz. _Sorry, Kuchiki-san._

Kurosaki-kun's sword shattered to reveal his old sword. He was about to deal the final blow! But she could see that he won't be able to reach him as Yhwach has begun to make his move. _No!_

 _Tsubaki!_ She screamed inside her head. A weak flickering light appeared beside her.

 _"Can you still fight with me…one more time?_ " she asked him mentally.

 _"Yes."_

Orihime put both of her hands in front her like a slow, struggling calvary. Her arms and hands quivered until it gave away, and fell limply beside her. Her eyes stung with tears running down her cheeks. She raised them up again, only to meet the very same result. "Please…Please…Guh!" She raised them again, but before it could fail for the third time, a hand reached over and supported her arms.

"Kuchiki-san!" she gasped, looking at the smiling Shinigami crouching beside her. "Thank you," Orihime offered a watery smile to which the other returned.

 _"Tsubaki, pour your speed and ability within Kurosaki-kun's Zanpakuto."_

Orihime steeled her resolve. _Kurosaki-kun. Ishida-kun. Sado-kun. Kuchiki-san. Tatsuki-chan. Everyone._ "KOTEN ZANSHUN! I REJECT!"

A burst of light zoomed towards the hilt of Zangetsu. _Please. Please. Please, let me reach, Kurosaki-kun!_

In the blink of an eye, the Quincy King was bifurcated in half.

.

.

.

"The path has now closed, Ichigo. The path to a world without fear. The Human World, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo. They belong together as one. They should have been brought together, that life and death may mingle as one. But now that path exists no longer. All thanks to you, Ichigo. How disappointing. Because of you, life and death will not lose their form. All living things will continue to live their lives in fear of death...for all eternity."

It was all Orihime heard before she succumbed to the fatigue and lost consciousness.

 _"Shun-o,"_ called Tsubaki as he returned to the hair pin.

 _"I know,"_ smiled the captain. _"Orihime shouldn't be able to use us after the sixth shield, but then again she managed to use all six of us the first time. Right down to the very same order."_

* * *

Ichibei felt the remaining vestiges of Yhwach' presence in the Real World disappeared. _So, it has now truly been over,_ he remarked as he glanced at the corpse of the Quincy King suspended within a peculiar barrier between grand curtains.

"You've been right, you know," he started. "…that there really was a Soul King's counterpart, and that counterpart had always been within the Real World…However, you've been wrong to assume that balance divides. It does not. Balance is to mediate…it creates bonds, just like the bond shared by the Soul King and the…" he paused momentarily, shaking his head before starting to leave the room where Yhwach's body has now been made as the new linchpin of the world.

Back at the Muken Prison, Aizen gazed on as he felt Yhwach's reiatsu fading. He smiled to himself, recalling the line: _Where there is past, there is future. Where there is death, there is life. Where there is darkness, there is light._

"There is no past and future without the present. There is no death and life without the souls. There is no darkness and light without the gray…and just like the son grew to be a father, and the daughter into a mother, there is their child… and only then, when the two of them have come together in perfect balance, will the millennia old plot be full realized, " he finished as he looked at his visitors.

"Enough with the monologue, oh villain," said Isshin.

"Well, hello to you too, Isshin. It's been too long. How fare the rebuilding of the Shiba Clan? I take it that it is going quite smoothly?" Then his eyes landed on the figures beside him. "My, you've brought some guests. Pardon my lack of pleasantries. I can only be so courteous as to greet them. Urahara. Yoruichi. Ryuken. Byakuya."

He stopped the moment he noticed three women behind them. He smiled wider. "Greetings, Masaki, Kanae…and Lady Kuchiki Hisana. I take it that it was Inoue Orihime?"

Byakuya moved to block his wife from seeing the traitorous bastard. "Enough with the games. Yhwach's reiatsu exploded the morning right after Rukia's ceremony, but it quickly disappeared in just an instant. It's no mere coincidence that you, who had been present when Kurosaki Ichigo killed Yhwach, had no underlying motives for helping him. What are you scheming?

"And I get to be the bad guy?"

"Answer the damn question!" Isshin roared. "It is no mere coincidence that Ichigo was the only one who could go toe-to-toe with that Yhwach bastard. Just what are you planning on doing with Ichigo this time?"

"Aren't you just looking for someone to blame? Your arguments just don't add up…but if you must know…Ichigo hasn't always been my plan. He was Yhwach's…short-sighted he is.

"Oh, no," exclaimed Kanae behind Ryuken

"What is it, Kanae?" asked the Quincy.

"Byakuya-sama, there was another one," spoke gravelly by Hisana.

"Who?"

"Isshin, it's not our son," said a panicking Masaki.

"Huh?"

"You're forgetting someone," teased a smug Aizen.

"It's Orihime, Isshin. She was able to combat Yhwach!"

"Hmmm…Closer. Almost there," jibed the chair-bound criminal.

"It's their son," Yoruichi concluded, her eyes boring holes on Aizen's eyes.

"Stop messing with my family," growled Isshin.

"What are you planning on doing with Kazui?" Urahara finally spoke.

"Now, what indeed?"

 **THE END**

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 **A/N: Once again, I would like to thank each and everyone for the support!**

 **kalmaegi: I cannot thank you enough for those sweet and kind words that you've given me. It really pushed me to finish this story. It was but a dream to me before, to write fanfic about Orihime's powers, and I finally did it thanks to you. You motivated me, and I cannot thank you enough!**


	7. Update

Announcement:

Sequel for the The Fight is up and available. Be sure to read it!

See you and thanks! :)


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